The present invention relates to devices for retaining ends of hoses and the like in desired relation to a vertical support of a drain receptacle. In the past, hosing used for draining laundry liquid from a washer to a laundry tub, stand pipe or other drain has usually been fabricated from rubber or soft flexible synthetics which can be permanently formed into desirable configurations. This type of hosing however has been susceptible to kinking, particularly if used with a movable appliance or used in an environment requiring multiple and/or tight radius bends. More recently, lightweight corrugated flexible hoses fabricated from plastic materials, such as polypropylene, have been made available for waste disposing connections. These hoses have favorable anti-kink characteristics since they are relatively stiff and are adaptable to be bent to a desirable drain configuration.
Drain hoses of domestic appliances must be capable of carrying a relatively large volume of water which, even at a relatively low pressure, tends to straighten any bends formed therein. Thus, if the drain hose is not securely fastened to a stand pipe or wash tub, the waste water may splash or spill over onto the floor. Special fittings have been developed for this purpose. Early devices for either shaping or reinforcing hoses used in a drain application are shown for example in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,098,141; 1,439,031; 1,803,529; 2,611,568; 2,671,626 and 3,220,680, all of which employ wires to hold a hose in a desired curve and adapted to be disposed over or connected to a vertical support. U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,746,151 and 2,189,364 disclose a combination of wire forms and other sheet metal parts adapted to bend a hose and secure it to a support structure. Recently issued U.S. Pat. No. 4,163,457 discloses a termination fixture for a corrugated drain hose which utilizes either a plastic or a metal hose guide which securely attaches to and forms the hose for connection to an outlet pipe arrangement.
It is desirable then to provide a drain hose guide member which may be used with equal advantage in both a stand pipe and laundry tub installation. It is also desirable where the drain hose is of the corrugated type, to prevent over stressing of the plastic by providing a guide member which sets the bend in the hose. It is further desirable to have a guide member for a corrugated hose which protects the hose from wearing where disposed over the vertical support.
It is also desirable to provide a hose guide which can be easily fabricated from a single piece of stiff wire and which is constructed to be easily attached to a washing machine drain hose. It is further desirable to provide a washing machine hose guide which maintains the curvature or bend in the drain hose while simultaneously permitting the hose to be installed to either a drain installation having a relatively wide opening or a drain installation having a relatively narrow opening in a secure manner without modification thereto.
The present invention provides a washing machine drain hose guide member which is simple of construction, highly reliable, and which meets one or more of the requirements above described and other objectives.